Police in Makueni County are holding five terror suspects nabbed with explosives in Mtito Andei.
The five were arrested by Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) who were patrolling Mtito Andei Township.
Acting on a tip-off from a member of the public about the suspicious individuals, the detectives flagged a Nissan Salon vehicle registration number KBR 142L with five occupants packed outside an eatery.
The five include the driver of the vehicle, 52 years old Cyrus Wamwea Thiongo, Abdinassir Hirsi Hapicha, 34, Ali Gibaba Hapicha, 42, Omar Halake Jillo, 60 and Administration Police Officer Ali Gollo Garaqo who claimed to be a DCI officer attached to Maua Police station in Meru County.
On searching the vehicle’s booth the sleuths found a luggage which was in a small box wrapped in a polythene bag.
Read: Mother, Daughter Nabbed with Cache of Arms Sneaked into the Country for Suspected Terror Activities
Inside the box was a cylinder tube connected to two wires, copper wires, Six wires with labelled dangerous explosives and 3-kilograms of white powder.
The suspects were escorted to Mtito Andei Police station where they are being held as police continue with investigations.
Meanwhile, the case has been handed over to the Anti-Terror Police Unit (ATPU) while the exhibits have been sent for further analysis by the bomb experts.
Read Also: KDF Soldiers Kill 5 Al-Shabaab Militants In Foiled Night Attack On Somali Forces
Kenya’s security agencies are on high alert over a possible terror attack in the country.
In February this year, the US government warned of an imminent Al-Shabaab attack targeting Kenyan government security forces, civilians, and Western interests in Kenya.
In a statement, the US through Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said that the attacks could also target joint civil-military airfields, primarily near Kenya’s Eastern border with Somalia and in the Coastal region of Kenya adjacent to Somalia.
Read Also: Suspected Al-Shabaab Militants Destroy Newly-built Police Station In Mandera
Consequently, FAA warned US civil aviation to exercise caution when flying into, out of, within, or over the territory and airspace of Kenya at altitudes below FL260 East of 40 degrees East longitude.
Terrorist group Al-Shabaab has publicly declared its intent to conduct attacks in retaliation for Kenya’s counterterrorism operations in Somalia, which Kenya conducts as part of the African Union mission.
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